Health & Fitness
The Village Voyager: Baby Gear Fear
The baby gear galore stores have this mama-to-be totally stressed out. Read why and share your hits/misses and stories of what you picked and why!
There are so many new experiences and events that come with being a first time mom-to-be, and it’s been so much fun most of the way. I could have done without 5 ½ months of morning sickness and the gallons of blood that they drained from me for prenatal testing, but the tradeoff is worth it. I have loved seeing how excited our family is. If I so much as whisper the words “the baby’s moving” everyone comes running to try to feel. I haven’t carried groceries or shopping bags in about five months, though I’m perfectly capable. I get mandatory naptime on the weekends, and I love that excuse to watch nonsense television instead of doing yard work or another equally awful chore. All of our friends want to get together before the baby comes and we’ve been having a lot of fun and enjoying time as a couple. Not to mention that my husband and father-in-law have been slaving over the “to do list” so that our house is a home before baby’s birthday!
One of the less enjoyable tasks that nobody warned me about—well, there are lots of things—but one that surprised me was what an awful experience registering is. Hear me out on this before you start to send me nasty messages about what an ungrateful person I am and how I’m setting a poor example of gracouiousness for our baby.
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Let me start by saying that I love gifts. I love to give presents just as much as I love to be the receiver of surprises. I love finding creative ways to wrap things, different holidays to give gifts and everything that comes along with finding or receiving something to brighten the day. The actual act is not the problem. I was so excited to register for our wedding and I couldn’t wait for my bridal shower. We were thrilled to be able start our life in our new home with things that we had agreed on together, and it allowed us to come up with a style that was ours. We love to entertain and I love to cook so there were some very obvious choices that we made to make parties and holidays more fun. We also needed a vacuum that actually worked and some bedding that wasn’t from our college years—so there were some necessity items on the list back then too. We were making the leap from apartment to house and really took advantage of the opportunity. [A note to all of you naysayers from three years ago: Yes, I actually do use my fine china and we have loved every party and holiday that I have served on that set!]
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We expected this time around to be a similar experience, but this baby thing is a whole new ballgame. The person that we are essentially picking out these items for is not here. I’ve never done this before and neither has the baby. How do I know what to pick? I don’t know which brand of bottles the baby will like. Does everyone actually use four different strollers? Do we really need to pick out the toys for when this baby is two years old? Some of the items make me roll my eyes and pray that I won’t someday be the mom to rely on these products.
Let’s take for example the shopping-cart seat cover. Seriously? I did not have this as a baby. I know this for a fact. I know that I chewed on that handle as a little kid and I survived it. My friends that have these do not use these and only move them from one side of their trunk to another. Our kid will sit in the seat and chew on the bar and live to tell their story about it too.
Another item (of approximately one million) that did not exist when I was a baby is the swaddling blankets. I have totally bought into this trend if for no other reason than I’m afraid not to. For fifteen bucks this blanket is going to make our baby feel safe and secure and rest peacefully? Okay, I’ll buy it—Especially if it means that I might get a shower and to brush my teeth for two or more consecutive days. I went to the store with my mom a couple of weeks ago and this aisle was our first stop. I asked, “Did you swaddle me when I was a baby?” My mom’s response was “I don’t think so, what is that?” I explained the whole idea and she confirmed that no, babies were not swaddled when I was born. We were put in our bassinettes, playpens or cribs and we went to sleep. Maybe we’d have a blanket if it was chilly, but there were no baby-burritos in the 1980s.
On this same registering trip, I was given a guide to the store including a “must have list” from the customer service desk where I picked up the scanning gun. This is another part of the registering process that I have beef with. Well, of course they would give you this super helpful list. They want you to ‘need’ one of everything in their store. It took me three separate trips to get the basics done and in the spirit of full disclosure we did the vast majority online. This was really ideal since the stores are generally hot and crowded and an anxiety attack waits for me within each aisle. Not to mention that by the time we get moving with that scanner gun and I’m on a roll and into the process, I have to go find the ladies’ room or need to scrounge up a snack.
On the one hand we can’t wait to meet the newest Costigan family member, and on the other we are terrified to be making the wrong choices for this little person. So please send along any really awesome baby items that you just couldn’t live without, or items that you probably should have skipped. If you happen to run into me in one of the baby stores hide your snacks and avoid eye contact…there’s a mommy-to-be-meltdown nearby.